DFS Guam
Apr 24, 2015
Apr 20, 2015
Flashwerks: Pagat Cave
Then the hike the rest of the way down; jungle, untouched jungle.
The opening.
Crossing over.
Silence,
Darkness.
Test shot.
Correction shot.
All at once you understand one another.
Pagat Cave, Guam
Apr 19, 2015
Apr 14, 2015
Flashwerks: Cave
Gun Beach, Guam
Apr 8, 2015
Apr 7, 2015
The Off Road Lie
Four wheel trails and lies are really the same thing. The
further you drive down that lie the harder it gets to turn back.
There is of course the initial muddy or steep entrance. With
a tiny bit of skill you are over the initial barrier to entry.
From there it’s some ups and downs. Maybe a little more mud,
a steep incline, a rutted trail. However overall the ride is easy.
Then comes the part that drops off a little more. It’s not
so much different than the rest of the trail. It’s still dirt and there are
still ruts. However that slight change in grade and terrain makes all the
difference.
Soon you are down deeper than you expected. Often the
easiest way is to follow the trail further down. The problem is at a certain
point you’ll have to come back up again.
There I was today. No mud, thankfully. Just a steep grade,
loose gravel, and a few obstacles were all that stood above.
I could hear it. The crashing ocean, the end of the trail;
it was so close. Likely could have made it. Then again where I was now was
going to make getting out a challenge. To add to that, I was working with a
nearly worn out street tire on the back.
After turning the bike around on its kickstand and walking
out the run, I went for it. It was not a good start. No traction, a fishtailing
back end, and a steep grade. This was going to either work or end in a mess.
Feather the clutch, keep on the throttle, and keep on the line.
Ohhhh buddy too much clutch and the back end stuck just
enough to try and throw me. Ease it up. Keep on the throttle. Sweat, fear, and
an overriding eye at the top of the trail.
Back on the easy stuff.
Then back on the road.
You can always have more. Trick is knowing when you’ve had
enough.
Apr 4, 2015
Apr 1, 2015
1988 Phazer: フェーザー88
Dear Seller,
Been about a year since you sold me the 1988 Yamaha Phazer. Hope all is well. Wanted to say thank you again selling me the bike and then for buying it back again after a some months.
Sounds funny, but wish you could see the places that bike and I rode. In a way, think you knew as that drive you took me on was a collection of the entire thing.
A 250cc motorbike. A ride people laugh at as being a beginners bike back stateside. In a world of 75mph highways, it is. However almost the entire world is made up of roads that allow for no more than 25-50 mph. A world the 250cc is made for.
Then you add to it the time and place this bike was made. A time in Japan where you could not produce bikes larger than 250cc for the domestic market. Abroad Japan had made advancements that even today make it the sole leader in reliable great motorcycles.
I will not bore you with all the details that made the Phazer 250 an amazing bike.
Lord was it a great bike to ride. First, why? Why was this bike still running so well. I mean like new bike well. Its true the magneto in this bike was out (right name, not sure. first time I had this problem was on a bike in the Philippines. at the time that is what the mechanic called it.)
However this problem was easy. So long as the bike was being driven, the engine would not die out. Even at a light, just keep the revs up and all was well.
Shibuya crossing, the light just after it. Yes this is where I learned the bike suffered from this problem. Had I not ridden so many broken bikes, I would have been just broken down in Tokyo.
Instead, after turning off the lights and a push start, I was on my way home.
Age has its virtues.
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